‘Rogue One: Recon’ is a 360-degree prologue to next month’s Star Wars movie

We’re just a matter of weeks away from the release of Rogue One the next cinematic Star Wars release — and, as a result, the film’s mammoth marketing campaign is starting to get underway in earnest. Starting today, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the cockpit of an X-Wing thanks to a Verizon promotion.

Since November 10, visitors to Verizon stores have been able to experience Rogue One: Recon, a special 360-degree experience designed for Samsung Gear VR hardware. The clip will still be shown in stores until November 25, but starting today it will also be available via the company’s Facebook page.

Of course, you’ll need a Samsung Gear VR headset to enjoy the experience. Recon places viewers at the controls of a starfighter, and allows them to move their head around freely to take in all the action that’s playing out around them.

The clip follows a scout who stumbles upon the Death Star while out on a recon mission with another pilot, according to a report from Upload VR. Given that Rogue One is all about a plot to steal plans for the superweapon, it’s easy to see how Recon will link up with the upcoming blockbuster.

This year has seen an avalanche of Star Wars content released for VR headsets. Between Trials on Tatooine, the PlayStation VR X-Wing mission for Star Wars Battlefront, and now Recon, there’s been no shortage of opportunities for fans to step into a galaxy far, far away.

While the Star Wars VR content that has been produced so far has largely been short-form, there’s every chance that we’ll see something more substantial in the future. ILMxLAB seems to have been building up its familiarity with the various different headsets on the market, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the studio produce even bigger projects going forward.